You (hopefully) heard it here first: I'm no longer slated to make Wonder Woman. What? But how? My chest... so tight! Okay, stay calm and I'll explain as best I can. It's pretty complicated, so bear with me. I had a take on the film that, well, nobody liked. Hey, not that complicated.

Let me stress first that everybody at the studio and Silver Pictures were cool and professional. We just saw different movies, and at the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that's never gonna work. Non-sympatico. It happens all the time. I don't think any of us expected it to this time, but it did. Everybody knows how long I was taking, what a struggle that script was, and though I felt good about what I was coming up with, it was never gonna be a simple slam-dunk. I like to think it rolled around the rim a little bit, but others may have differing views.

The worst thing that can happen in this scenario is that the studio just keeps hammering out changes and the writer falls into a horrible limbo of development. These guys had the clarity and grace to skip that part. So I'm a free man.

On one hand we won't have to suffer through Whedon-made villains. I cringed when I heard he didn't want to use the ones she already has. Plus I was dying for the WWII connection to remain (I do hope the rumor that the new script has a WWII setting is true).

On the other hand, its back to Development Hell for one of my favorite franchises.

Okay, I'm not sure how this'll be recieved by the greater meming community as its probably not what they had in mind (but hey, you wanted to get to know bloggers better!), but I've had a hair trigger all week and this was all I could think of. (Yes, I picked the sweet little hearts code just because I'm ranting.)

Some of these will be political, US-centric, and contain profanity.

Thirteen Things about Ragnell the Foul

Thirteen Things That Greatly Annoy Me

1) Being treated like I'm stupid.

2) Oversimplifying a complicated argument so that everyone gets classified in extremes, with one position being "good" and the other "evil."

3) Barney Fife jokes about the police.

4) People who argue the meaning of "freedom of religion" without ever having read the Consitution.

5) People who argue what ideals the United States was founded upon without ever having read the Declaration of Independance.

6) Micromanagement.

7) Using the phrase "politically correct" to complain about being asked not to be a dick. You are not being a rebel with racist and sexist jokes. You are being a dick.

8) Nationalists who claim to be Patriots.

9) Calling any character trait I display "masculine" "manly" or "male." I'm a woman, dammit. Everything I am and do is feminine. The problems are your narrow definitions.

10) Characterizing the entire military as conservative hawks. Just because they're volunteers doesn't mean they're disposable OR that they have a particular political philosophy. Some people need money, some people need training, and some people actually do love the Constitution and the freedoms outlined.

11) And while I'm at it, the "she killed, isn't she a villain now?" meme that pops up occasionally in the comics community (usually whenever a hero kills somebody.) In actual life, policemen and military members are taught that killing is possible while in training, and take the job fully knowledgable that its necessary in some scenarios. Preparing to accept that does not automatically mean a person doesn't respect life, or that they look forward to the option, or even that they'll bring themselves to do it when the time comes. That "killing automatically makes you a bad guy" argument basically argues that the policemen and veterans who've killed during their duty are bad guys and no "But superheroes are different because of x" argument has ever or will ever lessen that.

12) Aircrew. By the very nature of your job, if you fly in an airplane for a living and break the shit I or my counterpart works on, I hate you. Nothing personal. I just hate you.

13) Perky, rebellious, blonde teenaged girl superheroes. There were been too damned many of them at DC (Arrowette, Wonder Girl, Spoiler, Secret, Supergirl, Stargirl, Speedy -- you couldn't fit a redhead or a brunette in there?) and with a bad artist you couldn't tell them apart in civvies. We need a moratorium on creating new ones for at least a decade. Try someone who's not white instead. If she must be white for being a blood relative of another character, try a redhead or a brunette instead. Really, its like there's a factory for superheroes and someone left the setting on "Blonde" "Teenaged" "Female" "Perky" and "Rebellious." Even when later writers flesh them out, they all start out the freaking same. They all look the fucking same. It must be stopped! I demand diversity, if only to be able to follow the fucking story without wondering who the hell's talking!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

I dropped Teen Titans a long time ago because I didn't like Johns' Wonder Girl, and even though Beechen is the DC Hit Man for Batgirl I thought I might give it a shot. Because Marz was the DC Hit Man for Hal Jordan, and I still ended up liking some of his non-editorially driven stuff. Emerald Knights and Final Night were my first Hal Jordan stories.

Please note that GREEN LANTERN #18 (JAN070293) and 19 (FEB070275) will be illustrated by Daniel Acuña (UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS), with covers by regular series artists Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert.

Not that I was planning on buying it (well, okay, I was planning to buy it if, miraculously, issue #18 shipped with all of the fleshy parts of Star Saphire's costume colored in black, blue, purple or white) but I couldn't buy it even if I was buying it with Daniel Acuña on the art.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Wrote another letter to DC, this time over this. Feel free to pinch your nose and read aloud Comic Book Guy-style:

Dear Mr. Didio,

I saw Eddie Berganza's guest column in DC Nation last week. I had a mixed reaction, as a female reader

On one hand, its nice that you know we exist. I've been reading since I was 12 and over that time I've gotten the distinct impression that comic book companies only think guys read.

And I am casually interested in Supergirl. I pick it up from time to time to see if I like what's going on, but I'm not a big Kelly or Churchill fan and with Super-books I read for the creative team. (And implying the Power Girl is a "bimbo" by creating a "mimbo" equivalent doesn't endear them to me.)

Now Green Lantern books I'll read even when the writer and artists are unknowns. I love Green Lantern. I have the T-Shirt. I have the toys. I have the 'piggy' bank. I WANT to buy the entire series from the 40s until now because I ADORE the concept.But I've dropped Green Lantern 3 times over the last 13 years. Twice because Jade was being treated like crap, and once for costumes. I never thought I had a problem with cheesecakey costumes before (love Wonder woman, love Power Girl) but Ivan Reis' interpretation of Arisia made me cringe. The shirtless Star Sapphire on the cover of GL#18 made me drop the book in the middle of a storyline. It looked like porn.

While its heartening to see an actual superhero book looking for female readers, its hard to stomach the sentiment when another book makes it crystal clear through exploitive art that female readers are not welcome.

Look, at DC you have an AWESOME product concept-wise. Superheroes can and do appeal greatly to women and you have the icons. And its wonderful (hint, hint) that you have pleasing female readers in mind.

Just don't stop at the 'girl' books. I'd read everything you put out if I felt welcome to.

Its obvious that column was because Supergirl's sales are declining and they know that women are reading due to the Girl-Wonder.org letter campaign, but I don't think they realize how stuff like this and Minx sound when contrasted to the mind-boggling sexism of the Green Lantern #18 cover. So I thought I'd bring that to their attention.

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Before you approach, you should know 3 things about me: 1) I am a Green Lantern fan. 2) I was a Green Lantern fan in the 90s too. 3) I like to add "the Foul" to the end of my name to let everyone know about my natural temperament.